Hyundai New Verna 2017 Review

The all-new Hyundai Verna was unveiled at the Chengdu Motor Show earlier this year. The C-segment sedan, now in its fifth generation, has been introduced in India. This all new Verna is available in 12 variants, with two engine and two gearbox options.

It also comes with an all-new design. The design elements are cued from its larger sibling, the Elantra. This characteristic styling marks the introduction of a 'family face' for all Hyundai cars. The hexagonal chrome-lined grille gets horizontal slats and the air dam gets a honey comb mesh grille. The profile retains the coupe-style sloping roofline and a strong shoulder-line that extends to the boot. The sleeker wraparound tail lamps come with a LED lighting signature. Size-wise, the 2017 Verna measures 4,380mm in length, 1,728mm in width and 1,460mm tall compared to its earlier stats of 4375mm, 1,700mm and 1,475mm respectively. Apart from that, there are also four new body colours to choose from.

The cabin is done in beige and black with an updated feature list and some additional rear room. The new feature list now includes a bigger seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, ventilated front seats, rear AC vents, dual USB charging points, power windows, electrically adjustable ORVMs and climate control. Hyundai has also added Eco Coating for scent control, rear curtains and a hands-free boot opening. The top-of-the-line model gets six airbags and ABS with EBD.

The new Verna is powered by a pair of 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The petrol unit produces 121bhp of power at 6,400rpm and 151Nm of peak torque at 4,850 rpm. The oil burner, on the other hand, puts out 126bhp at 4000rpm and an impressive torque of 260Nm from as low as 1,500rpm. Both engines can be had with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. In the Indian market, the new Verna is Hyundai’s take on the growing C-segment sedan category. This part of the market has been gaining a lot of popularity lately. It takes on the likes of the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid.

Hyundai Verna Mileage:

Fuel Type                               Transmission                          Mileage

Petrol                                                  Automatic                                           17.25 Kmpl       

Petrol                                                  Manual                                                17.4 Kmpl  

Diesel                                                  Automatic                                           24.35 Kmpl

Diesel                                                  Manual                                                24.8 Kmpl

Verna Specifications:

Engines

1582 cc, Diesel, 126 bhp @ 4000 RPM power

1591 cc, Petrol, 121 bhp @ 6400 RPM power

Gearboxes

6-speed, Automatic, Front Wheel Drive

6-speed, Manual, Front Wheel Drive

Seating Capacity

5 seater

Steering

Power steering

   

Mahindra KUV100 NXT Review

Mahindra has updated KUV100 with a new NXT series. It is available across five variants, two engine options as well as eight colour options including two dual tone schemes. Mahindra has stacked up the KUV with features and technology to ensure that the update has the firepower to compete with the established players in the segment.

Exterior

The most significant change in terms of design is a completely new face for the NXT. It comprises a vertically stacked design for the overall appearance. The headlamps have got a new design while the front bumper has moved from a conventional design to a sportier one to give the car a crossover appearance. With the NXT, you get a new design for the alloy wheels/wheel covers while at the rear the tail lamps have become wider and now come with silver inserts. The tall design gets a high bonnet and a pronounced shoulder line that accentuates the length of the sub-four metre car.

Interior

Inside, the KUV100 NXT is now a standard six-seater but you can also order for a five-seater vehicle across both fuel options. The overall layout of the cabin has not changed but you now get a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the top spec variants in place of the 2-DIN unit that was offered in the outgoing model. Mahindra also got rid of the multi-dial design for the air-con system and has replaced it with a minimalistic button style setup. The four-speaker music system gets Bluetooth and USB connectivity along with steering mounted controls.

Engine and gearbox

The KUV continues to use the same two engine options – the petrol mFalcon G80 and the diesel mFalcon D75. The 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine develops 82bhp and 114Nm, while the 1.2-litre turbodiesel delivers 77bhp and 190Nm. Both the engines come mated to a five-speed transmission. The G80 engine is a micro-hybrid with start-stop technology while the diesel D75 gets driving modes like Eco and Power.

With the update out of the way now, Mahindra has announced that the AMT variants for both petrol and diesel will be added in the next five months. On the other hand, an electrified KUV will be introduced next year. We expect the electric KUV to make an appearance at the 2018 Delhi Auto Expo.

Competition and Price

The KUV100 is priced at Rs 4.39 lakhs (ex-Mumbai) for the base petrol variant and Rs 5.39 lakhs for the base diesel variant. It competes against mid-size hatchbacks like the Ford Figo, Hyundai Grand i10, Maruti Swift, Nissan Micra and the Maruti Suzuki Ignis.

Mahindra KUV100 NXT price starts at ₹ 4.52 Lakhs and goes upto ₹ 7.54 Lakhs. Petrol KUV100 NXT price starts at ₹ 4.52 Lakhs. Diesel KUV100 NXT price starts at ₹ 5.53 Lakhs.

Mahindra KUV100 NXT Mileage:

Fuel Type                                Transmission                       Mileage

Petrol                                       Manual                                  18.15 Kmpl

Diesel                                       Manual                                   25.32 Kmpl

KUV100 NXT Specifications:

Engines

1198 cc, Diesel, 77 bhp @ 3750 RPM power

1198 cc, Petrol, 82 bhp @ 5500 RPM power

Gearboxes

5-speed, Manual, Front Wheel Drive

Seating Capacity

5 seater

6 seater

Steering

Power steering

 

Isuzu D Max V Cross Review

Isuzu has had a long association with India. Not many of the millennials would recall, the Ambassadors, the Contessas and also a bunch of commercial vehicles were powered by the engines from the Japanese manufacturer. Now that the Sri City manufacturing plant has commenced production, Isuzu has quickly launched the V-Cross luxury pickup that had been showcased at the Auto Expo 2016.

The V-Cross gets the standard Isuzu garb we have seen in the MU-7 and D-Max. The radiator grille has thick borders and a single horizontal slat. The headlamps are swept back and get projector units. The butch looking SUV has a higher ground clearance than the D-Max along with a wider track and a longer wheelbase. The twin-cab pickup seats five and runs on 16-inch alloy wheels and gets roof rails and turn-indicators on the chrome ORVMs.

The cabin is finished in black with silver highlights for the centre console and door trims. The dashboard design is simple and gets a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with USB and AUX input along with Bluetooth connectivity. It gets climate control and tilt adjustable steering wheel and a height adjustable driver seat. The twin pod instrument cluster gets a multi-function display to read out the two electronic trip meters along with other vital information. For storage, you have a two-part glove box, driver armrest storage and cup-holders in the front. On the safety front, it gets dual front airbags and ISOFIX mounting points for child seats in the rear.

The V-Cross is powered by the 134bhp four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine which develops 320Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a manual gearbox and also gets a shift-on- fly four-wheel drive system. It gets double wishbone suspension setup in the front with anti-roll bar and long-span leaf springs in the rear with gas shock absorbers. It also gets ABS and EBD along with brake assist.

The V-Cross is a luxury pickup truck – a niche segment in the Indian market. While Tata and Mahindra have been there for a long time with the Xenon XT and the Scorpio Getaway, the volumes haven’t been much. But, with the lifestyle product segment, the one where the Isuzu V-Cross stands, is growing. If you want a big burly luxury pick-up truck for weekend getaways, the V-Cross certainly fits the bill.

D-Max V-Cross Specifications:

Engines

2499 cc, Diesel, 134 bhp @ 3600 RPM power

Gearboxes

5-speed, Manual, 4WD / AWD

Seating Capacity

5 seater

Steering

Power steering